Chapter 193: Ultimately Revealing the Clue

For a period, the entire Myriad Immortals Island, and even the Myriad Immortals Alliance, were shrouded in gloom. Every cultivator encountered on the path seemed disoriented, like a lost soul. Li Fan even heard that many cultivators, after losing everything and falling into utter despair, chose to end their own lives. Every so often, flashes of light would burst in the sky above, signaling another demise.

Furthermore, some gamblers who had leveraged their investments, hoping for a big win, incurred massive debts after the Spirit Mist Grass plummeted. Their debts were so immense that they couldn't be repaid even by working for a lifetime. To escape their creditors, some chose to resist with force, while others opted to defect, leaving the Myriad Immortals Alliance to join the Council of Five Elders. It was likely due to the large number of defecting cultivators that the Martial Arts Hall became understaffed. The Sky Profound Mirror, uncharacteristically, continuously issued many additional meritorious pursuit missions, with no limit to how many times they could be accepted. For a time, the entire Xuanhuang World was tumultuous and unstable, demonstrating the immense impact of the Spirit Mist Grass turmoil.

Li Fan also followed suit, completing several pursuit missions and raising his authority level to Yan Eight. Surprisingly, after just over a month, the turmoil spontaneously subsided. The sorrow on cultivators' faces gradually vanished, replaced once again by their usual vibrant expressions. It seemed as if the recent Spirit Mist Grass incident had been forgotten, with little mention of it in conversations. Even when occasionally brought up, people no longer showed signs of deep regret or distress. Instead, they spoke of it with a hint of mockery and jest.

"You only lost 50,000 contribution points? How can you even talk about it?"

"Heh heh, look at us. Which of us didn't lose tens of thousands?"

Such conversations were commonplace. Gradually, the collective memory of the Spirit Mist Grass incident faded among the cultivators. Ultimately, only the sentiment remained: "Contribution points are truly hard to earn." Li Fan's memory, however, did not diminish. Firstly, because he was a complete beneficiary in this turmoil, he had no painful or anxious memories. Secondly, the colossal 650,000 contribution points he possessed constantly reminded him.

"It seems I won't have to worry about contribution points for a long time," Li Fan thought, then sent another message to He Zhenghao.

Earlier, Li Fan had paid He Zhenghao a visit. In this life, He Zhenghao seemed to have suffered even greater losses than in his twelfth life. He appeared utterly devastated, his eyes vacant. When called, he would only respond instinctively. It wasn't until recently, under the influence of the Eternal Celestial Venerable, that he slowly recovered. He deeply regretted not heeding Li Fan's warning at the time. Upon learning that Li Fan had successfully exited before the bubble burst, He Zhenghao became even more envious.

"Alas, Daoist Li Fan," he lamented, "if only I had listened to your advice back then."

Li Fan had lost count of how many times He Zhenghao had said this. "If you ask me," Li Fan said, "investing truly depends on one's talent. Daoist He, you're clearly not suited for it. Take my advice: from now on, just diligently complete missions to accumulate contribution points!"

"The good thing is you're safe, and your cultivation is intact. At worst, you can just start over!" Li Fan said earnestly.

"Yes, yes, Daoist is right," He Zhenghao nodded profusely, then tentatively asked, "Daoist, if you don't mind my asking, how much did you earn this time?"

"Heh heh, a lot. Very much so," Li Fan replied cheerfully.

He Zhenghao's face showed envy, and he seemed about to speak but hesitated. Li Fan saw that He Zhenghao seemed to want to borrow money but was too embarrassed to ask, opening and closing his mouth several times without speaking. He just couldn't bring himself to say it. Li Fan was in no hurry to expose him and decided to let him stew a bit longer. He Zhenghao was clearly not the only Cloud Sea Overseer who had lost their life savings due to unwise investments. Putting away the myriad-character communication talisman, Li Fan's attention shifted to Zhou Qingang of Tai'an Island.

He saw Zhou Qingang looking agitated, his brows deeply furrowed. He was pacing back and forth, seemingly wanting to do something but unable to make up his mind. Suddenly, his expression changed. He pulled out a spirit talisman and said hatefully, "Nudge, nudge, nudge! It's only 50,000 contribution points! As a dignified island guardian, do you think I'll stiff you?"

"Don't worry, I'll definitely pay it back by the end of this month!" Putting away the spirit talisman, Zhou Qingang's face was grim.

He seemed to have finally made a decision. After activating a Concealment Talisman, he flew out from the defensive formation of Tai'an Island. He arrived at an empty, uninhabited sea area, hovered in the air for a moment, and his aura suddenly changed. Furthermore, from his celestial perspective, Li Fan saw that Zhou Qingang's physique and appearance had also completely transformed in an instant. This wasn't an illusionary change, but a fundamental transformation into another person entirely. The original Zhou Qingang was a quiet, young scholar. Now, he had become a thin, unremarkable middle-aged man. After his disguise, Zhou Qingang continued to fly discreetly in a certain direction.

"So, he's finally revealed his true colors," a glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes. He bought a recording stone from the Sky Profound Mirror and held it in his hand. At the same time, he slightly adjusted his monitoring angle and began to record the scene with his divine sense.

After flying for a full day, as night fell, Zhou Qingang arrived at a remote, uninhabited small island. The island was extremely desolate, without a single tree. As far as the eye could see, there was only scattered rubble. Zhou Qingang landed on the small island and looked around. After observing carefully for a long time and confirming that no one was following him, he began to search the island. After a long while, he seemed to have found his target. A look of delight appeared on his face as he held a stone in his hand. The stone was completely ordinary, with no special symbols or markings on it. It was just rugged and uneven, with a few small holes in specific locations. Zhou Qingang examined the stone for a long time, firmly imprinting the positions of the small holes in his mind. Then, with force, he crushed the stone to dust. He then flew towards the island's northwest direction.

Another half-day passed. In an uninhabited sea area, Zhou Qingang suddenly stopped. He then plunged headfirst into the sea. There was a ruin at the bottom of the sea. Zhou Qingang searched through the ruins for a long time, finally stopping before an inconspicuous broken stone. A yellowish-brown light appeared on his hands, and Zhou Qingang pressed his palms onto the broken stone. His palm prints matched. A beam of light emerged from the broken stone, sweeping over Zhou Qingang's entire body. It then returned to the broken stone. On the smooth, mirror-like surface of the broken stone, a human face suddenly appeared.

"Hmm? Why are you contacting me so early this time?"

"Shouldn't there still be six years?" The face's exact features were unclear. It looked at Zhou Qingang, full of doubt.

Zhou Qingang's expression was hesitant, and he stammered, "Boss, the funds aren't enough. Could you allocate a bit more to me?"

The face was slightly taken aback: "How long has it been, and you've already used it all up?" Then, as if remembering something, its voice changed: "You fool? Did you also invest in Spirit Mist Grass?"